The Boeing 747, known as the "Queen of the Skies," was a marvel of engineering that debuted in 1969 and essentially invented the "wide-body" era. One of the coolest facts is that the 747 was actually designed with a "hinged nose" (in the cargo version) because Boeing engineers originally thought the plane would be a temporary stopgap until supersonic jets took over; they wanted to ensure it would be useful for freight if passenger interest died out. Another impressive fact: the Wright Brothers' first flight could have taken place inside the fuselage of a 747, as the cargo hold is longer than their entire 120-foot journey. The 747's tail is also roughly as high as a six-story building (approx. 63 feet). Additionally, a modified 747 was used to ferry the Space Shuttle across the U.S., and in 1991, an El Al 747 set the record for the most passengers on a single flight, carrying 1,086 people during the evacuation of Ethiopian Jews.